The past week has been busy. Very busy. I was stuck between work and the hospital. Mom had a high fever and it rapidly went downhill. She was taken to the hospital for a check-up but after getting there, Dad was told to admit her. Which he did. She was given IV immediately and then our family began freaking out. There's nothing quite so bad as not knowing what the problem is. The next day my mom was diagnosed with Dengue and her blood platelet count had drastically reduced. So everyday this past week I’ve been heading to the hospital after work and sleeping on their very uncomfortable beds. I had very little sleep but every time I looked at mom in bed taking all those breathing treatments, cords and tubes running into her, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Then, right away, I felt thankful. Thankful that it wasn’t worse.

She’s now, finally back with us. Thank god, home. Sleeping in our own beds under the same roof. I love my mom. Without her being around, my world almost came to a serious standstill. Moms are the most courageous, most devoted kick-ass people who walk among us. To my mom, thank you for being so awesome.

'Fields of Gold' is easily one of my favorite tracks ever layed down by Gordon Sumner aka Sting and I was blown away upon hearing a cover of it. That’s why I can boldly state my love for this rendition by one of the best musicians out there; that being the legendary Eva Cassidy.
Everything about this track is perfection. The nature of this song perfectly complements her elegant flow. Artists today wish they could drop it like Cassidy. This track is so good I’m tempted to simply stop now and publish this post. In the most basic sense this cover simply works. Enjoy.

I am just sitting here wondering if I should just scream out loud or just scream quietly. Nothing much to report really, except the fact that my love life sucks and otherwise work has been uber busy.

While I was working I came across this site that offered annual predictions for zodiac signs and it explicitly told me not to be too sympathetic to others – ‘take care of yourself first'. Maybe I should respect the saying or maybe I am already doing it. You can try your luck out by asking me anything that would require me having to show sympathy.

In this time and era when some artists have all but vanished, others carry on putting out new albums that are, well, let’s just say, less than the standard , and others are on an unending break. It can be hard at times to be keyed up for new music. In fact it can be hard to be thrilled for music in general.

Fortunately for us all, in this current desolate economy, there exists one dazzling and immaculate star that has to date, put out three brilliant slices of music for our enjoyment. The third album by Fiction Plane, titled ‘Left Side of the Brain’ has eleven songs that are each unique pieces of intricate craft work. After the band’s debut album it was apparent that Fiction Plane had some serious talent behind the music and this album literally raises the bar to a ridiculous height. I wouldn’t be surprised if this album made it into my best music-list this time around.
The band is essentially the brainchild of Joe Sumner (lead vocals and bassist), the son of musician Sting. The singer has a true vein of modern indie running through his blood and that with vocals very similar to his father’s - the outcome is unbelievably awesome music that is magnetic and enticing. If you haven’t heard this band, then it’s about time you were introduced to Fiction Plane.
My favorite track hails of the album ‘Left Side of the Brain’ called ‘Two Sisters’. If you like this track, chances are you’ll like most of what this band sounds like.

In the next thirteen days on EC, you can leave a comment that has your favorite track and if the single sounds good then I’ll play your song at ‘EC’s 1 year anniversary post’ on the 21st of May. There might be a goodie bag involved here so it’s definitely worth your while to fill out a little comment and hope you get some free stuff, right? Tell your friends, Evuhleen’s Corner is hitting one.

A Friday Night at the Opus

I wish I was one of those people who could get into a conversation with someone and start off with something like, ‘You know this one time in school/college...’ or whatever the case may be and get into this long narration about this unpredictably cool story. Frankly, those tales are dreadfully difficult to come by since I didn’t do a lot of cool things when I was younger. But now I realize that it just takes treading out of the house, preferably after dark.

That said, Friday night’s show was a blast! Absolutely beyond brilliant! The day was warm but the evening was breezy cool and the scales were tipped in the Das’ favor.
We arrived at some point in the 8 o'clock hour and it wasn't particularly packed. Events like these don't really get packed unless it’s past what my late grandfather would call ‘a decent bedtime’. After finding a seat at the table right next to the stage and ordering a Screwdriver, I got myself comfortable on a white cushiony mattress for a four-act night of soft alternative-friendly music. Soon friends, colleagues and friend’s friends arrived, filling up the place and we were in constant motion to make some room at the table for the newcomers.

From here, there are a couple roads to take.

A) The Place- The show was at the Opus. It was the kind of place you expect to sit in if you had an open mic night. Dim lights, the sound of a ready audience and the excited band filled the air, and there was not enough room to take my jacket off. There was not much between the performer and the audience- which made it all the more special!

B) The People- You had all of them, the artsy types, the ones in jackets and jeans, the ones who even looked like they had come for a hip-hop rush. One guy in particular....we weren't really sure if he knew what kind of music was going to be played. His obviously clueless look made me want to guffaw but the night was not about him so I spared him the foul look. Then there was everybody else who was so very much in the middle of the music.
As soon as the music started up, there was this willingness and readiness to just sink into it regardless. There was head bobbing and looks of approval from the listeners, rising with every song. For me, I do little more than tap my foot and hoot aloud after every number. I work like a radar at these situations cos I know I will be writing about it later. Also, every so often I turned to the people sitting next to me- Yuvi, Ruan and my favorite blogger Pete, to make a comment and to watch them respond to the sounds in their own little space. They looked happy.

C) The Music- Like I had mentioned before, this was a mellow music night type thing. Our buddies there, Tony Das, Chris Das and Judy Das and Avinash Grubb were outstanding. And while my opinion might be a tad bit biased, other spectators tell me all four were fantastic, in fact.
The show started with Judy’s rendition of Corinne Bailey Rae’s ‘Girl put your records on’. Snow
Patrol’s ‘Run’ and Sara Bareilles’ ‘Love song’ were dedicated to yours truly, who became quite famous by the end of the night. One song in particular was pretty catchy, "Englishman in New York" and when I uploaded the track on my last post I had no bloody idea that they were going to be singing it. Pretty weird! By the end of the first set the band had definitely and undoubtedly gotten the crowd’s undivided attention and could do no wrong.
The second set had the band sounding pretty good on tracks like Ingrid Michaelson’s ‘take me the way I am’, Eagles’ ‘New York minute’ and Chris’ original composition ‘Breathing memories’ and I thought to myself that this was one of those performances that actually lived up to it’s buildup. It was a pretty cool night and the Das’ had done it with enough spunk to be entertaining without being overdone.
Anyway, this entry is longer than I intended, but it was a good night and it was great to go out and hear great music from people that I love. There's so much more to tell, but your attention span is probably disappearing right now. For more of Chris Das’ music head over to http://www.chris-das.com/. But before you do so, below is a recording of Chris’ version of ‘Run’ (should give you a feel about the show). Stay tuned, kids and thanks to those who made it!